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246 246 EURIPIDES

"Hast hold of her?"

" Fast hold."

" Why, then, hold fast And have her ! and, one day, asseverate isei

Thou wilt, I think, thy friend, the son of Zeus, He was the gentle guest to entertain ! Look at her ! See if she, in any way. Present thee with resemblance of thy wife ! " i965

Ah,, hut the tears come,, find the ivords at fault /

There is no telling how the hero tivitched

The veil off: and there stood,, with such fixed eyes

And such slow smile, Alhestis' silent self!

It was the crowning grace of that great heart,, i970

To keep haxikjoy : procrastinate the truth

Until the wife,, zcho had made iwoof and found

The husband loanting,, might essay once more,,

Hear,, see,, and feel him renovated now —

Ahle to do,, nov.1,, all herself had done,, 1975

Risen to the height of her : so, hand in hand.

The two might go together, live and die.

Beside, when he found speech, you guess the speech.

He could not think he saw his wife again :

It v}as some mocking God that used the bliss iseo

To make him mad ! Till Herakles must help :

Assure him that no spectre mocked at all ;

He was embracing vahom he buried once.

Still, — did he touch, might he address the true, —

True eye, true body of the true live wife f i985

And Herakles said, smiling, " All was truth. Spectre ? Admetos had not made his guest One who played ghost-in voker, or such cheat !